Tomorrow night is cup night at the Swansea.Com Stadium as the Swans host AFC Bournemouth from the Premier League. The visitors are yet to win this season in the Premier League but have played Liverpool, Spurs and West Ham already. All early front runners at the top table.
The Cherries have an extensive injury list which includes Alex Scott, Dango Outtara, Adam Smith, Marcus Tavernier, Tyler Adams, Lewis Cook, Ryan Fredericks and Emiliano Marcondes Camargo Hansen all fighting to get back to fitness. None will appear tomorrow night at Swansea is the latest information. The wagging tongues are talking about Kiefer Moore and Jamal Lowe starting the game. The latter keen for a move away from Kings Park. Gavin Kilkenny Is another who could start but Moore aside these two players are unsettled at Bournemouth currently. Does manager Andoni Iraola risk unhappy players in his starting eleven ? The issue really is does he have any choice with so many injuries and a depleted squad. Kilkenny is of interest to Birmingham City and Lowe is being considered by Portsmouth, but surely salary demands will out price him ?
The Swans haven’t beaten the Cherries since 2007 when goals from Ferrie Bodde, Dennis Lawrence, and two from Warren Feemey sealed a 4-1 away win in League one. The team that day included the likes of Garry Monk, Joe Allen, Angel Rangel, Jason Scotland and Andrea Orlandi. Yes, that long ago. You have to go back to 2006 for the last home win when the Swans ran out 4-2 winners again in League one. That day Rory Fallon bagged a brace with Lee Trundle and Ezy Iriekpen getting the others. Jack Cork featured for Bournemouth that day.
History tells us this will be a tough game with the visitors holding the keys to the fixture most certainly. Since that away win in 2007 there have been eleven fixtures, the Swans have failed to win any of them. Six of those fixtures came in the Premier League. Four of those eleven games were drawn, the Swans losing the other seven.
However, that’s in the past, and the game is more about winning ways and Michael Duff than anything else. The League Cup merely a by product of the night. Either way there has to be a winner so you will see the ball hit the back of the net at some point,
It’s a great opportunity for Duff to play Mykola Kukharevych from the start, the Ukrainian looking very handy in the short time he had on the field at Preston. Carl Rushworth played in the 3-0 win against Northampton Town, it will be interesting to see what selections Duff makes. Nathan Tjoe-A-On Is fit and looking for a first start, and if Josh Ginnelly is over his ‘illness’ then he should make the starting eleven.
With the official website still offering £10 streaming passes for Preston away this morning it’s unlikely there will be any LIVE coverage of this game, rights issues have affected League Cup games for a few years now. Salford City v Leeds United is LIVE on Sky Sports on Tuesday night and Doncaster Rovers v Everton on Wednesday night. There are no red button games.
There are reduced admission prices starting from £1 for the game.
We will carry the managers press conference pre match.